Seeking 3 New Virtues for Inverness

What virtue or value would best express the unique qualities of Inverness and carry the city forward into the 21st Century?

This is the question lead artist Matt Baker posed, and on which the City Partnership engaged the community in a lively exchange about. Why three virtues?

Faith, Hope and Charity were three statues that used to look down on Inverness High Street from Victorian times until 1955. They are fondly remembered by many citizens and help give a sense of the city’s past as well as providing thought provoking interest on what present day values sum up what is special about our city and being part of the community here. Matt is designing a 3 piece artwork to be set in to the updated pedestrian area at the south end of Church Street. Comprising native trees and naturally hewn Caithness stone, his work will create an informal meeting area and an intriguing entrance into the old town. He intends for each part of the installation to be associated with a new contemporary virtue to act as guiding principles for the future.

Matt consulted with local groups including the churches and Highland Youth Forum to get their suggestions. Matt and the City Partnership then threw the debate open to the wider public to get their ideas. The three words finally selected will be engraved into Matt’s artwork in English, Gaelic, and possibly a further language. 
 

VIRTUOUS SUGGESTIONS WERE

Agriculture
Appreciation
Belief
Belonging
Benevolence
Charity
Compassion
Confidence
Connection
Conviction
Courage
Craic
Culture
Different
Dedication to Human Rights
Empathy
Equality
Enterprising
Fairness
Faith
Fidelity
Freedom
Free Voice
Friendliness
Friendship
Future
Generosity
Grace
Gratitude
Growth
Happiness
Hardly
Harmony
Heritage
Heart
Heavin
History
Home
Honesty
Hope
Hospitality
Humanity
Humour
Humility
Independence
Inspiration
Integrity
Kindliness
Knowledge
Love
Patience
Peace
Perseverance
Potential
Pride
Passion
Prosperity
Prudence
Respect
Responsibility
Rightenough
Self-determination
Socialisation
Space
Strength
Stewardship
Support
Thankfulness
Tolerance
Trust
Truth
Unity
Vibrant
Vigilance
Vision
Vitality
Welcoming
Wealth
Wisdom
Wonder

Some 'Triple' suggestions:

Trust,Hope and Love
Harmony, Humanity and Hospitality
Strength, Truth and Vitality
Clipe-ey, Clarty and Crankie
Tolerance, Generosity and Responsibility
Vision, Self-Determination and Equality
Humility,Humour and Happiness
Beauty, Loyalty and Peace
Inspire, Integrate and Involve